Wireless networks are becoming ubiquitous and in some cases blanket a subdivision, town, or city with wireless voice and data coverage. In general, a network may consist of many wireless access points or nodes, each of which is connected to a network backbone that provides connectivity to the Internet, telephony services, video services, or other capabilities.
A dispersed network may be installed so that the network backbones follow the contours of geography, roads, and other features. As a network is deployed, especially when it is deployed in stages, the network may be installed such that many devices may be geographical neighbors, but may be separated by a circuitous network routing. Such may be the case for a cable television network, telephony network, or other wide area network.
When a network is maintained, devices such as wireless access points, amplifiers, routers, and other network devices may be removed and replaced with other units. The removed units may be repaired and returned to service in another geographical location. Over time, the physical location of a specific device on the network may change, and the physical locations of the devices as installed may be difficult to determine.